Dear friend:

During Advent-Christmas, "evangeli.net Subjects" is treating the life of Christ from the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary point of view. After "The Incarnation of the Son of God" (read more), we go to the mystery of "The Visitation of the Virgin to her cousin Elizabeth" (a landmark in the History of Salvation: (read more):

1st) "Mary got ready and hurried to a town in (…) Judea" (Lk 1,39). This is how the faith of the Virgin is !: not only did she say "YES" but, at the same time, she responded with deeds (and nimbly!). That is the apostle James challenge of coherence for us: "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds" (Jas 2,18). If Mary had stayed "prudently" in Nazareth protecting her pregnancy, we would all have accepted and understand it... but now there wouldn’t be the 2nd Joyful Mystery... (Mary is the quintessential believer: read more).

2nd) "The baby in my womb leaped for joy" (Lk 1,44). With the arrival of Jesus (only a few days of life in the womb of his Mother), there is an atmosphere of contagious joy also in the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth (read more). Again, the protagonist is Jesus Christ (read more): God makes Himself present, St. John feels it and their respective mothers act as exultant spokesmen for such a nice Mystery.

3rd) "But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Lk 1,43). We understand Elizabeth's surprise: the Mother of the Lord looks after the mother of the forerunner. Shouldn’t it have happened the other way around? God’s logic! Later at Calvary Jesus and Mary will surprise us again with their "logic": instead of something like "John, take care of my mother", from the lips of Jesus came the "Woman, here is your son" (Jn 19,26). Jesus takes care of us, and Mary does too! (the "one-God-who-comes" desires to meet us and visit us: read more).

4th) “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk 1,46-47). The Magnificat is a prayer in a poem’s form that comes from the grateful heart of Saint Mary (humility and gratitude of Mary: read more). That shows a high and balanced knowledge of the Sacred Scripture (read more). Thanks to this background, Mary is capable of responding well and quickly to the Will of God… always! That is not easy!

Fr. Antoni Carol i Hostench

(General Coordinator of evangeli.net)